


Regardless

by birdie_3



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Canon Compliant, Hurt Bucky Barnes, M/M, Not A Fix-It, One-Sided Attraction, Pining Bucky Barnes, Spoilers, The tags are a bit bare because I don't want to spoil anything, Tony Stark Dies, Tony Stark Feels, Unhappy Ending, Unrequited Love, winteriron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 09:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18617839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdie_3/pseuds/birdie_3
Summary: Don't read if you haven't watched Endgame yet.ENDGAME SPOILER ALERTLike seriously go watch the movie before you read this. Nothing is tagged other than that it's not a fix it and that there are spoilers. I'm also not writing a summary because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I'll update all that in maybe a month or something when people have had a chance to go see the movie.Update: Summary now in notes, and as per the Russo Brother's twitter post, I'll be updating the tags on Monday (Tuesday in Australia) the  summary will stay hidden in the notes for a while longer though.





	Regardless

**Author's Note:**

> MAJOR SPOILER ALERT
> 
> Don't say you haven't been warned.
> 
> This is just a little winteriron oneshot addressing the end of the movie.
> 
> Summary:  
> Bucky loved him, but it was too late. He'd reappeared just in time to fight, but not soon enough to save Tony.  
> Tony wasn't his, not his to love or to lose.

**LAST WARNING FOR SPOILERS**

 

When they started turning to dust, at first he was happy, they’d won. Then he was relieved, that was it, it was over, no more fighting.

 

He found Steve and when he felt Steve’s arms around him, it felt like home. Steve pulled him in tight and they stood there holding each other, sobbing in relief.

 

Then he felt nothing. 

 

By the time they’d made it over to Tony, he was already gone. He felt like someone had ripped his heart out of his chest and replaced it with a stone. It hurt and it was heavy.

 

Tony was dead.

 

He knew nothing would ever come of it, but he’d loved him anyway.

 

Gone.

 

Before he could tell him.

 

* * *

 

At the funeral, he stood to the back. No one knew. He’d never even told Steve. It didn’t feel right, telling anyone before he told Tony. And now he never would.

 

When Sam put a comforting hand on his shoulder, it was all he could do to not collapse and sob at the unfairness of it all.

 

He had no right. Five years had passed since he'd disappeared. Tony had a family, a wife, a daughter. Who was he to intrude on that?

 

But he’d loved him anyway.

 

* * *

 

“How could I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.”

 

When Steve hugged him again, he knew it was goodbye.

 

He let him go, smiling. He understood. How could he ask Steve to stay when he would have done the same thing had he had a chance with Tony.

 

Maybe he would have. But who was he to take him away from Pepper?

 

* * *

 

Time passed and eventually, he moved on, or he told himself he did. But in the late hours of the night and the early hours of the morning when he couldn't sleep, when he woke up tears soaking his pillow. He knew he never really would.

 

“You still mourn him.” 

 

“Of course, but I’m glad he got to live out his life, happy.”

 

“Not the Captain. Stark, you still mourn him.”

 

He looked at the Wakandan King, surprised. “You loved him.” It was more a statement than a question.

 

“I… yes…” He bowed his head, ashamed.

 

“You seemed brighter when he called.”

 

“How did you...?”

 

“My sister always informed me when Stark called her. I knew you had contact with him when they were working on your triggers and figured it wasn’t a coincidence, after they had been removed that you tended to visit Shuri on days when he called.” The king smiled sadly at him. “I am sorry for your loss.” 

 

“He wasn’t mine to lose.” Didn’t make it hurt any less, he gritted his teeth. “Wasn’t mine to love either.” 

 

“Yet you did regardless.”

**Author's Note:**

> Endgame ruined me. I got home from the cinema and stress wrote this, like the movie literally only finished an hour ago.
> 
> I'm a massive winteriron fan so this was just my little input.
> 
> Anyway, I'm going to go eat ice-cream and cry.


End file.
